Jurgen Klopp tried to sign Liverpool starlet Divock Origi while still Borussia Dortmund manager

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he was desperate to sign Divock Origi while he was still in charge at Borussia Dortmund. After an impressive 2014 World Cup campaign for Belgium, Origi was linked with a host of clubs across the continent with Liverpool eventually winning the race for his signature, paying Lille £10m for the young forward's services.

Part of the agreement saw the 20-year-old remain at the French side on loan for the 2014-15 season but upon his return to Merseyside this summer, his only starts under Brendan Rodgers came in Europa League games.

With Daniel Sturridge joining Christian Benteke and Danny Ings in the treatment room, Klopp showed no hesitation in handing Origi a starting role up front in his first game in charge of the club against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday and hinted the youngster will remain firmly in his first team plans.

"I wanted to take him to Dortmund when Liverpool bought him, but he went to Liverpool and then on loan to Lille," Klopp told reporters after the goalless draw at White Hart Lane, Liverpool's official website reports. "He is a very good player, very fast, a good technician. In this moment [he does not have] full of experience in the game, because he didn't play so often, but we will have fun with this player, I am sure."

Klopp is hopeful of having Benteke and Sturridge, the latter who suffered a knee injury in training following a collision with Jordon Ibe, back in contention soon but has faith in Origi with youngster Jerome Sinclair also an option off the bench.

"I need strikers," he continued. "When In thought about coming to Liverpool, I thought, 'Four strikers, this quality, cool.' Now I have one. That is not the best situation but I like Divock and young Jerome Sinclair was on the bench and was close to coming on. I don't think about players I don't have because it doesn't make sense. The best situation is when all the players are 100 percent. It doesn't happen so often."